CROSS-BORDER ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN MANAGING CONTAMINANT PROBLEMS IN WATER RESOURCES IN THE UPPER NORTHERN REGION

Abstract

This article analyzes the crisis of arsenic and pollutant contamination in the river basin systems of Upper Northern Thailand, which have transboundary connections with Myanmar and Laos, through the conceptual framework of transboundary environmental governance. The study aims to explain the sources of contamination, analyze governance challenges, and propose policy guidelines. The findings reveal that the degradation of river basins is a consequence of the dynamics of border capitalism. The primary sources of contamination originate from mining activities and upstream land clearing, compounded by ecological pressures from agricultural chemicals in contract farming systems and waste management issues from twin border cities. Managing this crisis transcends the dimensions of environmental science, extending into four key structural challenges: 1. Sovereignty constraints and the complex security landscape in neighboring states; 2. the asymmetry of environmental standards between countries; 3. the lack of a systematic, shared scientific database; and 4. the accountability gap of transnational capital groups that domestic laws cannot reach. Consequently, this article proposes elevating the management approach from reactive measures to a comprehensive transboundary river basin governance package. This includes four key dimensions: driving joint monitoring and data-sharing mechanisms; enforcing extraterritorial corporate responsibility laws throughout the supply chain; elevating environmental diplomacy alongside the support of Track 2 Diplomacy; and integrating environmental management with public health surveillance and community remediation systems. These measures aim to establish a collaborative river basin resource management structure that is efficient, transparent, and sustainable.